Speedy Shorts
by ShootingArrows
Summary: Tales of Roy Harper and his friends
1. birdsitting

When Roy Harper had agreed to be Green Arrow's partner, babysitting had not been part of the job description. Which was why the fourteen year old reacted with crossed arms and an unwavering glare to his mentor assigning him stake out duty with a ten year old.

"I should be going in with you. I'm your partner. Not a spectator. " Roy said crossly. Green Arrow sighed and glanced at Batman.

"Speedy, you and I tried to stop these circus nutjobs on our home turf. Now Bats and I are partnering up, naturally you and his partner are also a team. " Green Arrow stated with exasperated patience.

"Yeah, but babysitting? Kid's up past his bedtime if you ask me." Roy grumbled.

"I don't have a bedtime! " chirped an indignant voice from around Roy's elbow. Roy growled at the statement, glaring at Green Arrow.

"You're waiting here for a reason. We can't show all our cards, you're the surprise back up if we need it." Batman interjected.

"Fine, fine. I'll wait with short stuff." Roy huffed and leaned moodily against the structure around the stairs to the roof of the building they were on.

Batman made eye contact with Robin for a long moment, nodded, and leapt off the building. Green Arrow hesitated, stared at Roy for a pained heartbeat and shot a zipline arrow to follow Batman.

Roy stayed relaxed against the wall, but Robin switched impatiently between spots, going from squatting at the edge of the roof, to leaning next to Roy, and finally perching on the roof of the stairwell over Roy. Gradually the ambient crowd din from the tent increased, and with it Robin seemed to shrink in on himself, his demeanor deflating. Roy glanced up at him a few times, chewing his lip in indecision.

"Kid...you alright? " He finally asked, stepped forward to turn and stare up at the boy.

"I'm fine." Robin said in a forced tone that Roy saw straight through. Sighing to himself he pulled himself up next to the smaller boy.

"I didn't mean anything by those comments earlier... I've heard a lot of good things about 'the dynamic duo '...are you upset because you're not out there with Batman right now? Because I hate letting GA ditch me too..." Roy rambled awkwardly, trying to guess what the kid was upset about.

"No no no, that's not it ..I just..I don't like circuses." Robin said, more to the knees he was hugging than to Roy.

"Oh. " was all Roy could think to say, and uncomfortably put a hand on Robin's scrawny shoulder. The ebony haired boy leaned into the touch, so Roy kept his hand there.

About twenty minutes later gunshots rang out and the multitude of voices below roared in hysteria. The mass of shadows in the tent churned and spilled out onto the street chaoticly. At the crack of firearms Robin flinched, becoming even more distressed.

"We should be there! " He exclaimed, voice pitched even higher than usual. Roy's hand tightened over his shoulder, anchoring the agitated child.

"They haven't given the signal that they need us yet. " Roy said in a level tone.

"But I heard guns." Robin whined.

"The assh- villains are bound to take potshots at them, I'd be more concerned if I didn't hear guns." Roy dictated soothingly. Robin faced him, visibly distressed despite the mask, and Roy felt something twist inside him.

"I..I know.. just.." Robin took a shuddering breath, as if holding back a panicked sob, and finished in a quiet voice, "I don't wanna loose him the same way I lost them."

Roy couldn't think of anything to say to that so he just pulled the kid into his arms and felt Robin shaking as he pressed his face into Roy's collarbone. He knew that most heroes were driven by tragic experiences, but it was a punch to the gut to think about a kid like Robin having one. Roy had a vague notion based on the acrobatics that Robin had been connected to a circus before, this practically confirmed it. Not that knowing that information helped in any way, Roy mused, carding the hand not pressing the shaking boy against him through the kid's hair.

Roy was starting to worry if the kid would ever stop crying when his Bluetooth chirped and Robin froze, scrubbed his eyes and moved so he wasn't pressed against Roy, who continued to hold him.

"How're my eyes in the sky? " Green Arrow asked in a chipper tone.

"We're fine. Any trouble taking those bas- bad guys down? " Roy said, relieved that it was GA calling him, not Batman to Robin because he didn't want to deal with a Batman who thought he'd made Robin cry.

"Good, we're wrapping things up here. Only a few crooks are still running around and personally, I think Batman's playing with his food before tying it up." Green Arrow reported.

"Right." Roy snorted, "I'll stay up here with the hatchling just in case."

Robin made an indignant noise at Roy and rested his head against him. Roy smiled at him.

"Y'know, your identity 'Robin ' lends itself to nicknames. "

"Yeah, but hatchling? Thats scraping the barrel. " Robin wriggled in his arms to glare at him.

"I call it like I see it." Roy replied, smirking.

"Well..you're seedy." Robin said drowsily.

"And you're too tired to be clever." Roy murmured. He could feel Robin's weight settling against him and adjusted his grip to better support the youth.

An hour later Batman and Green Arrow arrivied via grappling arrow to the roof and were silenced by a glare and nod at the sleeping Robin from Speedy. Batman crept over and scooped him from Roy's arms, coming as close to smiling as Batman ever did. Before he left batman shot a quiet comment over his shoulder.

"You're right. He is out past his bedtime. "


	2. filleted and fried

Roy's initial reaction to the doorbell to his flat ringing in the evening was to brace for annoyance. He considered himself pretty tolerant of Oliver and Dinah's overly concerned attitude towards him, he'd already relented today after a few voicemails and checked in with his former mentor, and Black Canary had run into him on patrol and mothered him about everything she could think of. Therefore neither had any reason to come knocking for at least a few days. He was surprised when he opened it and saw Aqualad standing in his civilian garments looking even more uncomfortable than usual.

"Uhm..Kal?" Roy asked with a lilt of surprise.

"Roy..I .." Kaldur hesitated, his eyes dragging over Roy, taking in the teeshirt and sweats he was wearing to lounge in. "Nevermind. I don't wish to impose. "

"You're not ..." Roy sighed exasperatedly. "Get your ass in here already fishsticks. "

Kaldur allowed himself to be pulled inside and directed to the cluttered kitchenette with minimal protest . Roy shoved him in the direction of a wooden stool and mumbled a halfhearted apology about the mess.

"So what brings you here? Business or pleasure? " Roy asked, looking through cabinets to find a second clean cup to offer Kaldur a drink.

"I beg your pardon? " the Atlantean looked somewhere bemused. Roy snorted and shook his head.

"I doubt you came here just to sit in my apartment. What's up? "

" I required a stable set of hands." Kaldur said matter of factly.

"What." It was Roy's turn to be confused. Kaldur unzipped his jacket and pulled it off with a subtle hiss of pain, immediately Roy looked concerned.

"I was injured earlier and its at too awkward an angle for me to stitch properly myself. " He explained casually, gesturing at a gash in his side. The dark color of his uniform hid the spreading blossom of blood.

"Don't you have a medbay for that? And a team to help? " Roy snarled derisively. "And isn't Atlantean skin tougher than human? How'd that even happen?! "

" kobra venom enhanced elephant tusks overcome even the protection my abilities offer. As for my team...I have fallen out of their favor as of late." Kaldur finished quietly.

"That's no excuse. They should be looking out for you. " Roy said in a growl, digging through his medkit for supplies.

"I did not wish to worsen the fragile relations...ahh " Kaldur gasped in pain, gills fluttering when Roy's fingers probed the wound.

"Sorry, sorry! Damn it Kaldur. This better not become a regular thing." Roy grumbled, searching for a needle and thread while Kaldur eased his shirt off to properly expose the wounded area.

"I could find another means of treating my injuries if you do not want involvement. " Said Kaldur sheepishly, guilt and regret creeping into his tone. Roy's anger shifted and subsided.

"No, Kal. I'm glad you came to me and I'll always patch you up if you need me to, but seriously, the league's equipment is infinitely superior to my questionably sanitary supplies. " Roy made quick work of applying topical anesthetic and starting the stitches.

"Your care is sufficient. My immune system is designed for the microbe filled ocean, I will not succumb to infection from this." Kaldur tried to reassure Roy, but the archer merely snorted and glared as he tied the thread.

"I still want to know why the teams not treating you." Roy stood up and pulled Kadur up too so he could bandage him. He glared at the dark blotches of bruises marring Kaldur's physique, and stepped behind him to secure the bandages. "Are those Burns!? You've been fucking burned and not all of them are even treated! I follow your mission reports! When?"

"During the Red's attack. I was held in a fire cage with Miss Martian. I was preoccupied with concern for her. " Kaldur at least looked slightly abashed telling Roy. "I had limited time to treat my injuries before our next assignment."

"Damn it Kaldur. That team is going to be the death of you. They know how heat affects you, and how prone to burns you are! Why weren't you treated properly afterwards!?" Roy latched a hand onto both Kaldur's arms.

"The discovery of my...suspicions of a mole preceded upon our awakening and I was too concerned with the mission to-" Kaldur started, not meeting the archer's eyes.

"To concerned with the mission damn it. Kal. What if something happened and the injuries compromised your fighting? What if you were captured and became dehydrated? What if you died?" Roy interrupted him and ranted, voice progressively filling with more emotion. "I've noticed your self-sacrificing behavior, Kal."

"It is my duty as leader, and my personal wish, to protect the others before myself. I have considered it greatly and if someone must be sacrificed in a mission, my death would cause the least disrupt." Kaldur ground out, the words sounding forced and false; a lie to Roy and himself.

"The least disrupt?! Kal! They- we would all mourn you! How could you- Never- Kal." Roy looked stricken.

"Mourn me, yes, but they could recover. I say this because I know the truth of it." Kaldur said darkly, "You know of the failed telepathic training simulation, yes?" Roy nodded, " Once free of the exercise, the team rushed to those that had died and those most visibly distressed. I was hardly spared a glance despite sacrificing myself for a league member and the team. I understand why. Since my promotion to leader I have oft been forced to choose between what I wish to do as a friend and what must be done as leader. It is easier to simplify that decision and be only a leader."

"If you sacrifice yourself on a mission, I swear I will bring you back just to kill you again for doing that. And you shouldn't have to choose. You didn't ask for this. You deserve friends. To hell with Batman. He's a selfish prick." Roy growled.

"No, in fact I aspire to lead more in the manor of Batman." Kaldur stated.

"There are worse role models, but I swear if you get a stick up your ass like him, I'm holding an intervention to yank it out." Roy said, calming down. Kaldur flushed at the analogy and its implications. "And I'm gonna knock some sense into the junior justice league. Wally and Robin certainly will be friendlier, as for the others..."

"That is not necessary. I am not displeased with the current dynamic." Kaldur was quick to discourage him.

"But I am. Seriously Fishsticks, you shouldn't be so ostracized that you zeta to me instead of the team's med wing for stitches." Roy said, giving Kaldur one of his spare shirts in lieu of the bloody one.

"If you joined the team your proximity would be far more convenient." Kaldur said half jokingly.

"And I could keep you from throwing yourself into the frying pan." Roy jested, but then looked away. "You know why I just... I can't."

"You need not explain yourself to me, my friend." Kaldur gripped Roy's arm and smiled, then gathered his things to leave. "I must depart. The less time absent, the less excuses I must make for where I have been."

"You're allowed to have friends. You could crash on my couch. It'd be fun." Roy offered.

"Perhaps next time." Kaldur replied thoughtfully. Roy watched him leave, despite his wishes he knew this wouldn't be the last time a bloody Atlantean stained his floor.


End file.
